How do I upgrade or replace my device?

When you place an order to upgrade your device, we’ll conduct an assessment of its condition. The outcome will be one of the following:

• Good working order
• Minor damage and/or cracked screen
• Damaged beyond repair

I have Upgrade & Protect

You're required to return your device as part of the redemption process for Upgrade & Protect, either:

• Undamaged and in good working order (GWO upgrade)
• Damaged (damaged device upgrade)

A device in good working order and undamaged is generally one that is fully functional as intended and not physically damaged other than normal wear and tear (such as minor superficial scratches). For example, the device:

• Turns on and off
• Functions normally (for example, it’s capable of making and receiving calls and connecting to the internet and has a fully functional touchscreen as intended)
• Includes a fully functioning battery
• Is free from physical damage except normal wear and tear (for example, it doesn’t have liquid damage, a cracked or discoloured screen or casing, connector damage, or a faulty or broken SIM reader)
• Doesn’t have any missing, disassembled, customised or non-original parts; has all activation and device locking features disabled (e.g Find My iPhone)
• Has had a factory reset performed
• Is not IMEI blocked
  

The images below are examples of what is considered damage and NOT normal wear and tear:

Important: If your device doesn’t meet the criteria above, your device is considered damaged, even if it’s still unlocked. It may still be eligible for a Damaged Device Upgrade for a higher redemption fee, provided it is not IMEI blocked and meets the other redemption requires set out in the full terms and conditions in Our Customer Terms.

I have StayConnected Advanced, New Phone and Tablet Feeling or Mobile Swap Assure

The condition of your existing device will affect the total cost of your upgrade. If your device has minor damage, a cracked screen or is damaged beyond repair, you’ll need to pay a higher fee depending on the damage.

Good working order

A device that’s undamaged and in good working order is one that is fully functional as intended and is not physically damaged, except minor scratches and other normal wear and tear, as reasonably determined by us.

A good working device:

• Turns on and off
• Functions normally (e.g. it’s capable of making and receiving calls, connecting to the internet and any touchscreen functions work as intended)
• Includes a fully functioning battery
• Is free from physical damage except normal wear and tear (e.g. it doesn’t have liquid damage, a cracked or discoloured screen or casing, connector damage, or a faulty or broken SIM/SD card reader)
• Doesn’t have any missing, disassembled, customised or non-original parts
• Has all activation and device locking features disabled (e.g. Find My iPhone on iOS devices)
• IMEI is not blocked

Minor damage and/or cracked screen

A device with minor damage and/or cracked screen has:

• Damage to the casing
• Keys or buttons that don’t work
• Cracks or chips on the screen
• A touch screen (if applicable) that’s cracked and/or discoloured

Damaged beyond repair

A device that’s damaged beyond repair:

• Doesn’t power on (even when connected to charge)
• Has liquid damage (pink/red water indicator has been activated)
• Is disassembled or has missing parts
• Has been customised or has non-original parts

Redemption fees

Depending on your device’s condition, the following fees apply:

If your device is damaged and you're on a Lease plan with no extras, the following redemption fees apply:

You can have the damage repaired yourself by an authorised repairer. We’ll return your device to you and our Telstra Device Care team will advise you on the time frame when the repaired device will need to be returned to us. If not repaired and returned to us within the timeframe provided, all remaining Early Termination Charges and device repayment amounts will apply.

We can organise to repair your device for a fee. The fee will depend on your phone or tablet’s make and model and the amount of damage.

Before returning your device from programs such as Mobile Lease plan or New Phone and Tablet Feeling, you’ll need to back up your device, turn off location/locking features such as Find My iPhone, remove your SIM card and reset the device to factory settings.
 

Back up your device

Save your contacts, messages, photos, videos and music to your computer, or you might like to use a cloud service, SD card, or external hard drive.

You can also transfer content to your new device over Wi-Fi, back-up your data to the cloud, and run your own health checks with the Telstra Device Care app.
 

How do I transfer content with the Device Care app?

Before you start:

• If you are using an iPhone, make sure the Telstra Device Care app remains as the active app on your screen while you’re transferring as it may not continue transferring in the background
  
  

Transfer over Wi-Fi:

First, connect both your old and new phones to your home Wi-Fi network, then open the Telstra Device Care app on both devices.

On your new phone:

1. On the app home screen, select Content transfer & back up
2. Select Wirelessly transfer content
3. Select Transfer over home Wi-Fi network
4. Select This is my new device and you’ll see a page displaying a PIN

On your old phone:

1. Select Wirelessly transfer content
2. Select Transfer over home Wi-Fi network
3. Select This is my old device
4. Select the new device from the list provided
5. Enter the PIN provided from your new phone and hit Next
6. Select the content you want to transfer by checking boxes, then select Next
7. If you’ve already done a partial transfer, the app will give you the option to start again or skip duplicate data. Starting again will take longer
8. Your transfer will then begin
9. When the transfer is done, you’ll see a summary of what content was backed up
    

Transfer over phone-to-phone network:

First, connect both your old and new phones to you’re the same Wi-Fi network, then open the Telstra Device Care app on both devices.

On your new phone:

1. Select Wirelessly transfer content
2. Select Transfer over phone-to-phone network
3. Select This is my new device
4. Select whether your old device is an Apple or Android device
5. The app will then generate a QR code, along with a Wi-Fi network name and password

On your old phone:

1. Select Wirelessly transfer content
2. Select Transfer over phone-to-phone network
3. Select This is my old device
4. Select whether your old device is an Apple or Android device
5. The app will then prompt you to connect to your new device:
   
   • If your old device can scan the QR code on your new device, please scan the code
   • If not, please connect to the Wi-Fi network using the Wi-Fi name and password generated in the app on the new device
6. Select the content you want to transfer by checking boxes, then select Next
7. If you’ve already performed a back-up, you’ll be prompted to either Replace all or Skip over previous content
8. Your transfer will then begin
9. When the transfer is done, you’ll see a summary of what content was backed up

Good to know:

• You can still use Android devices while the transfer is taking place
• The length of time to transfer will depend on the amount and type of content being transferred
• Wi-Fi transfer is the most stable method. We recommended it for transferring photos and video due to the size of the data
  
  

How do I back-up or restore content with the Device Care app?

To back-up, just log in to your Google Account and follow the step-by-steps below. 

Good to know:

• Make sure you have enough space in your Google Drive before you start a back-up
• Create a new Google Account if you don’t have one already
   

To back up your content:

1. Make sure your original device is connected to a Wi-Fi network
2. Open the Device Care app
3. Select Content transfer & back up
4. Select Back up content
5. Select Back up data to Google Drive
6. You’ll see a list of available accounts. Choose the correct one and select OK. If you don’t see an appropriate account, select Add account
7. You’ll need to approve Telstra Device Care to access your Google Drive
8. Select the data you want to transfer by checking the boxes, then click Next
9. Your phone will connect to Google Drive and begin uploading content to the cloud
10. When it’s done, you’ll see a summary of what content was backed up
11. To complete the backup process, click Finish
12. You can verify your transfer by checking Device Care back up in your Google Drive.

To restore your content:

1. Make sure your new device is connected to a Wi-Fi network
2. Open the Device Care app
3. Select Content transfer & back up
4. Select Restore content
5. Select Restore data from Google Drive
6. You’ll see a list of available accounts. Choose the correct one and select OK. If you don’t see an appropriate account, select Add account
7. Your phone will connect to Google Drive and begin downloading all the content
8. When it’s done, you’ll see a summary of what content was downloaded
9. To complete the restore process, click Finish

Good to know:

• There’s no option to restore individual content
• Using Google Drive to transfer takes longer than a direct transfer because it’s a two-step process that backs up and then restores data
• Make sure you’re connected to a secure home or work Wi-Fi network when you back up and restore
• Both backing up and restoring can take hours depending on the amount of data
  
  

Remove your SIM card and factory reset your phone

You can find the instructions on how to do this in the user manual you received with your original phone or see our interactive device guides. 
 

Turn off device tracking

Device or activation locks may prevent the device from being wiped and factory reset. Customers who return phones with a device or activation lock enabled may be charged a fee. Ensure that all tracking has been turned off before you return it.

You can return your device in store, over the phone or online for some customers. 

You’ll need to return your old device within 14 days of entering your new eligible service plan, or at the time of purchase if returning in store. If you don’t return your device, your Upgrade & Protect offer becomes void and depending on the device offer you have subscribed to, you’ll either need to pay an early termination charge for the remainder of your device repayment term, or a fee which amounts to the Fair Market Value of the device. If your device was replaced under warranty, or insurance, you’ll need to provide proof of replacement. 

We’ll send a digital return code via email or SMS containing an Australia Post Returns Label with a QR code or barcode to return your device if you redeem online, in store or speak to us on the phone. Here’s how the digital returns process works:

1. Start the return process
   
   Once you lodge your return request, you’ll receive an Australia Post digital return code via email or SMS from Telstra within 24 hours.
   
   Good to know: Timeframes will be affected if there are delivery delays for your new device.
   
   
2. Prepare your device
   
   You’ll need to back up your data and remove all activation locks from your device. Find out more about what you need to do before returning your device.
   
   
3. Return your device
   
   Visit the nearest Australia Post to lodge your parcel; no paperwork is required. They’ll scan the QR or barcode or use the return code you’ve received. You’ll be able to track the device online.
   
   Customer information may be shared with Australia Post to process the returns request. Terms and conditions can be viewed on the Australia Post website.

I didn't receive an email or SMS

Double check your plan’s extras to see if you’re supposed to receive a return barcode or use a return satchel below.

If you’re meant to receive a return barcode but didn’t, please message us in the My Telstra app or contact us.

Returning a phone with StayConnected

If you’re got the StayConnected feature, your return process will be different. Find out more about the StayConnected return process.

If you choose not to return your device in good working order, you’ll be charged a non-return fee. As per the Critical Information Summary you received, this fee is equivalent to the Fair Market Value of the device at the 30th of the month from when you first took up your lease plan.

You don’t have to do anything. The charge will appear on your bill and can be paid as per the usual process. You’ll be able to continue using your device and the service. You’ll simply be charged the ongoing monthly cost of the swap or lease plan unless you choose to take up another plan.

If the device is damaged, you’ll be charged a fee of $190, or you can make an offer to purchase the device for Fair Market Value.